posure of Indian Military & Police Biometrics

In light of the alarming ransomware attack on Indian police, which led to the online exposure of thousands of fingerprints and facial recognition images, underscores the critical importance of cybersecurity measures in safeguarding sensitive data and protecting against cyber threats. India had 17.1M leaked accounts in Q1'2024.

The exposed records included the biometric identity information of members of the police, army, teachers, and railway workers. In parallel, it appeared that the data might have been for sale on a dark web related Telegram group. The publicly exposed database contained 1,661,593 documents with a total size of 496.4 GB.

The records belonged to two separate India-based firms, ThoughtGreen Technologies and Timing Technologies. Both provide application development, RFID technology, and biometric verification services.
A massive data leak during the elections in India exposed the biometric information of millions. An unsecured database containing fingerprints and facial scans of police, military personnel, and civilians was leaked, sparking concerns about identity theft and election security.

Sources reveal, there were also scans of documents such as birth certificates, testing and employment applications, diplomas, certifications, and other education related files. Among the most concerning files were what appeared to be the biometric data of individuals from the police and military in verification documents. Upon further investigation, there were documents indicating the records belonged to two separate entities which suggests they operate under the same ownership. It clearly indicates, there is strong impact on National Security,

There is an urgent need for enhanced Cyber Defense, the incident underscores the urgency for law enforcement agencies to bolster their cybersecurity defenses, including implementing robust data protection measures, enhancing threat detection capabilities, and conducting regular security audits and assessments.

 
The ransomware attack on Indian police, resulting in the online exposure of sensitive biometric data, underscores the urgent need for law enforcement agencies to prioritize cybersecurity and enhance their defenses against cyber threats.